What is Meant to be
by GoldenSymphony
Summary: Distance from those that are dearest is hard on a person, especially King Albert. Lavitz has been away from the castle for a long time and Albert seems to have developed special feelings over the course of time. Can one visit make or break a person ?
1. Expectations

Final

What is meant to be

The sun shone brightly on Indels Castle. Everyone inside was busy as usual, making sure that the castle was kept in tip top shape for their king. Minister Noish was the only one who wasn't doing things as they should. Instead of taking his place in the throne room, he was out and about, searching the castle for the king. He questioned various maids and nobles that were here and there. He even checked the lower quarters of the castle but Albert wasn't to be found. Noish knew that he couldn't ask any of the knights, due to the fact that any one of them would freak out at the fact that King Albert couldn't be found. The minister quickly rushed back up to the throne room and on to the balcony. He looked down to see if the king was just walking out of the castle, but once again…he wasn't to be found. The last place to look was his room. Normally, no one was allowed in his room other than a few maids and other servants, but Noish made himself an exception this time. He exited the throne room through the door in the uppermost part of the area and moved over to the door that separated the outside from the private quarters of the king.

Noish calmly knocked…There wasn't an answer so he knocked again….No answer. "I'm sorry you majesty for intruding." Noish muttered to himself. He grasped the bronze handle of the door and quickly opened it. He looked over at the bed. Noish saw a large lump in the center of the bed. By the size it looked as if it could be a human. More than likely this was the king ,but why was he sleeping in so late? Was he sick? Did he stay up too late last night attending to certain affairs of state? What could it be? Noish slowly approached the stationary lump and began to gently shake it. The lump began to wriggle and move around and soon the King revealed himself with horrible bed hair. "Do you have any knowledge of what time it is?" Noish asked sternly. Albert didn't pay him any attention. He slides his legs over the edge of the bed and slowly stands up. Minister Noish observes the expression on Albert's face. He looked sad and mad at the same time. He looks closer and notices that his eyes were red and swollen. It'd looked as if he had done some serious crying, but why? Noish was afraid to ask, but what if it is serious? It would be best if he asks and finds out so that he could solve the problem. "Your majesty Albert?" Noish hesitantly calls. Albert turns around and looks back at Noish. "What is it?" By the tone of his voice it was obvious that the King had woken up in a bad mood. The question remained to why he was so pissed this early in the morning.

"What's wrong?" Minister Noish asked. Albert turns around and begins to rummage through the dresser. " Nothing is wrong. Why do you ask?" Albert replies. Noish could tell that Albert was just trying to brush off the fact that something was wrong by covering it up. It was obvious that he didn't want anyone to know. "You're lying." Minister Noish broadly puts. Albert stops and quickly turns around. "How would you know?! Tell me that! You're not me! You just work for me and nothing else!" Albert's words cut like a knife when Noish heard them. Never before has the young king acted in such a matter. Before things got any worse, Noish left the room and returned to the throne room.

Minister Noish stood over to the side and his mind began to wander. _What could be the problem with his majesty? Was I at fault? No…Couldn't be._ Noish thought. On a regular basis, the king's mood was always happy and enjoyable, but today, it was different. There HAD to be a reason for his sour mood, but what was that reason? "Aha!" Noish said as he dashed out of the room. He quickly walked down the hall and into the knight's sleeping quarters. He found one of the knights who recently returned from Hellena prison. "Sir Lucien! Sir Lucien!" Called Noish. The knight turned around in his chair to find out who was calling him. "Hm? Ah! Minister Noish, how are you?" He replies. "I'm good but something concerns me."

"Oh? And what may that be?"

"It's about his Majesty Albert?"

"What's wrong with him?"

"He's not himself…His bright and happy attitude turned into one that's agitated and temperamental."

"Oh?"

"Yes…I was wondering if you knew what could be wrong with him. Since you are the one who reported to him earlier, maybe it's something that you have said that upset him."

Lucien began to stroke his chin and think deeply. "What could I have said?" He mutters to himself. Noish waits patiently as the knight pondered. Lucien's face lights up and he snaps his fingers. "I remember!" He announces. His face became serious as he continues with what he has to say. "As you know there were a handful of us who was taken in as POWs into Hellena Prison…One of them being Lavitz. Well, I was the only one that was able to escape the prison's clutches, but as for Lavitz… he wasn't so lucky. He was left to fend for himself after he sent me to report back to his Majesty. . . When I came back, I told King Albert everything that happened at Hellena the other day. Once I gave him that little bit of information. Albert's facial expression changed drastically. He wasn't himself from that day until now." Noish turned around and thought for a moment. "He's still alive right?" Noish questions. Lucien folds his arms and crosses his legs. "To tell you the truth…" He begins. "I have no idea…I saw the wardens take him in after I left the area. They could've done anything to him in the amount of time that had passed." Noish faces Lucien again and thanks him for the information, then leaves to return to the throne room.

Noish had all of the information he needed. He found the root of the problem, but now how to solve it. He couldn't go back and assure the king that everything was going to be alright, because he didn't know that. For all he had known the knight could've been deceased. He couldn't tell Albert that Lavitz is going to find a way to escape and return to him safely . . . there was a fifty-fifty chance of that happening and knowing Imperial Sandora…The odds were just decreasing by the hour. Noish continued up the stairs still in deep thought. "What can I say?! What can I do? I've never been in such a situation in my whole life…I don't have many options. Maybe I should just see what happens from here on out." Muttering to himself wasn't going to get anything off of the ground. Minister Noish enters the throne room still in deep thought, but that was brought to an end when he heard the sound of King Albert's voice. "Minister Noish?" The king called with a hint of disappoint in his words. Noish looks up and quickly walks up the final slope of stairs to be by the king's side. "Is something wrong, Your Majesty?"

Albert lays his staff across his lap and then places his hands on top of it. He looks over at Noish and begins to apologize. "I'm very sorry for the way I have treated you earlier. I know that you were only concerned for my well being and you couldn't help, but ask." Noish placed one hand on Albert's right shoulder and began to shake is head. "No, no, no! Don't worry about it! I understand that you were troubled about something and I didn't hold it against you that you scolded me, Sire." Albert turns his attention to the floor. He looked uncertain about something. Noish took note of this and decided to ask him a question. "Is there a problem that needs to be addressed?" Albert gives a heavy sigh and stands up. " Noish, could you come with me to the balcony? I prefer to discuss this in private." Albert began to move to the closest balcony and Noish follows behind him.

" The reason behind my horrible disposition is because I-" Albert began but was cut off by Noish who said. "Don't worry…I know everything about what is going on."

"W-who told you?"

"Sir Lucien."

" I'll talk to him about that later. I'm glad that you're the only one that knows though."

"Is there anything on your mind that you wish to discuss?"

"I just want to tell you that…I care for all of you deeply, just as I care for all of my loyal subjects. And when someone, such as, my best knight goes out and is captured…I can't help but to feel this way."

" You really care for your subjects don't you?"

"Yes…I do."

"I understand. It's alright."

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Minister Noish was wrong…He didn't understand how I felt for my subjects… Especially Lavitz. At times I would have an urge to see my loyal knight. These feelings soon turn into strange feelings that crave for Lavitz's attention. I never really understood why I have those feelings. I have thought long and hard about it and it could only mean one thing…That I have fallen for the young knight. BUT! How could this have happened. . .I would've never thought that feelings could get this way. Yet now I know and I question…If I ever told Lavitz this, how would he react? Would he push me away? Say nothing? Or accept it. If he were to come back…I'm afraid that I wouldn't be able to tell him. This is no way for a king to be acting. I won't know exactly what to do until the day comes and I am faced with this issue…Hopefully, I am given the answer that I expect.

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That night, Albert roamed through the castle. His mind was uneasy and he thought that a simple walk to the kitchen for a glass of milk would put his mind at ease. He guided himself to his destination by feeling around for objects, just to make sure that he didn't run into them. Eventually he successfully made it to the kitchen. The light from The Moon that Never sets beamed through the window and brightened the room a little, just enough for Albert to see what he was doing. Albert reached for a glass, but something then caught his eye. A familiar reflection was on the glass. He knew this figure! The reflection wasn't perfect though. The ridges, grooves, and designs on the glass gave the reflection a weird deformity. The suspense was killing him, he had to know who it was. He quickly turned around to see that nobody was there…The room was empty. It was completely quiet except for the small sound of sleeping knights, snoring in the distance. Albert shook his head and continued with what he was doing. He had changed his mind, instead of trying to find milk he decided to have a glass of spirits. Albert picked up a bottle and popped the cork. He slowly poured the strong scented alcohol into the glass until it was half full. After closing the container he leaned on the counter and began to stare at the sky through the window. He took one sip from his glass and almost choked on it. He began to cough, trying his best to calm down and not disturb the knights. Even though he was king, he got in trouble just like the other people that resided in Indels Castle.

" How do people drink this stuff?!" Albert muttered. " It's so strong! Well, I guess that I will take time to get used to it." Albert downed the glass and set it gently with the other unwashed dishes. He took one last look at the beautiful sky and guided himself back to his room.

The sun shone brightly into Albert's room. The king turned himself to face away from the bright sun. A knock came from the door. It was one of the maids that served Albert, she was responsible for waking the king up each morning. Nobody knows why she didn't wake him up the previous morning. "Sire! Tis morning! It's time go get up and start your daily routine." She said with a high pitched voice. " Breakfast shall be served soon, sire. Please be ready." After her message she left quickly. Her fast paced footsteps could be heard getting softer and softer. Albert pulled the sheets over his head and then tossed them off. He leaned forward and looked at how the bright sunlight spilled into the room, making everything brighter and livelier. The young king scratched his head and then decided to get out of bed and get ready.

Once he was fully dressed and squared away he made his way down stairs to get breakfast…That little event went by pretty fast and soon the busy king was able to carry out the next plan of the day.

Throne duty…Albert disliked the fact of sitting in that same place for hours on end doing nothing but looking at the same scenery. Occasionally you have a few people who come in hoping to discuss important matters, but that seems to be happening once in a blue moon now. You'd think that with the war going on, people would be visiting him more frequently. On the other hand, it wasn't too bad. Minister Noish had his fair share of stories of when he was with King Carlo, Albert's father, but just like any person… he told stories until he ran out. Now they were back to square one. Nobody said a word…Hardly anybody moved an inch from where they stood or sat. Let's just say that today…was dull as hell.

"Your Majesty Albert!!" Called one of the knights. He rushed into the throne room looking as if he was in distress. Albert responded in a hasty manner by asking, " What's wrong?! Are we under attack?!" He stood up and approached the edge of the platform. The knight huffed and puffed and gathered his breath. "No." He said. Albert flopped onto his throne and crossed his legs. "This is much better!" continued the knight. " Sir Lavitz is back! He has just entered Basil!" Both Albert and Minster Noish's face lit up with joy. " Great! When will he arrive at the castle?!" Albert asks. The knight takes one deep breath and then responds with. " Momentarily…." Albert dismisses the knight and then turns to Noish giving him a huge smile. " I can't wait to see him." Albert states. Noish gives a warm smile and replies with " Neither can I, your highness. Neither can I."

Part 1 End


	2. Everlasting Pain

What is Meant to be

What is Meant to be

Part 2: Everlasting Pain

( Disclaimer: Remember…I do no own anything from Legend of Dragoon.)

Bale was a lively town, with various faces and a mixture of personalities. At the town's entrance, a face showed up that hasn't been seen for a long amount of time. "Aaaaah…It feels so good to be home again." said the person. The person had shiny armor, green long sleeves, short blonde hair and he had a gentle smile on his face. Two people followed behind him, one being a man in red armor and the other being a young lady with brown hair. "So Lavitz…What are you going to do, now that you've arrived." asks the man in red armor. Lavitz turns around and faces the red clad man. "I have to report to King Albert on the situation at hand. Now that I mention it, maybe you can find something out about the Black Monster, Dart." Dart's face lights up and the knight then gave a warm smile. The group began to move in the direction of Indels Castle.

"Your majesty, calm down…Please!" Minister Noish pleads. Albert was sitting in his throne shaking as if he was in an earthquake. "You shouldn't stress yourself out this much! Think about your composure! Mannerisms….The way a king should be!!" Noish then emphasizes. Albert takes a deep breath and then gives a heavy sigh. "Good afternoon, sire!" Rang a voice from below. Albert springs up and quickly moves towards the railing of the platform and glances down to see his knight bowing before him. "It's great to see you, Lavitz! How have you been?" Albert asks. Lavitz stands up and gives a smile. "I am doing great! It's good to be back in Bale."

"Tell me…How did you escape Hellena?"

"It's all thanks to my friends here, Dart and Shana."

Albert directs his attention to the two people bowing behind Lavitz. "Please, stand." commands the king. The three rose to their feet and waited for the next word to be said by someone. Dart was the first one to speak. "Is there anything that you can tell me about the black monster?" This question leads to confusion between Albert and Noish. Albert folds his arms and thought, but his train of thought was broken by Noish's voice that stated how they didn't have information on the Black Monster, but he was willing to give them information on the Dragon Campaign.

Noish began to tell the story of the Dragon Campaign. Albert's mind began to wander as he stood there. He had heard the story of the Dragon Campaign since he was six years old and by this time, he was tired of hearing it. The king begins to stare at Dart wondering what he was to Lavitz. _Was he a mere friend of Lavitz or could it be more? Please let it be a friend…_Thought Albert. He begins to look back and forth at Lavitz and Dart, but then shakes his head. _No…It's just a simple friendship, nothing more. _"Excuse me, your Majesty Albert?" called Lavitz. Albert snapped out of his thoughts to see what his knight needed. "Is there anything else that you would like to address?" It took Albert a few seconds to get his mind set to the task at hand. "Oh! Yes. Lavitz, later on I need to see you. I have something to discuss with you in private." He responds. Lavitz and his party take one final bow and exits the throne room.

"Your majesty, what do you have to discuss with him?" Noish asks. "My feelings…" Albert states seriously. Noish tilts his head and begins to question the king's decision.

"Wait! Aren't you going a little too fast?"

"Noish…I've had these feelings for so long…yet, each time I get that surge of emotion running through me…I deny it. I've realized that I can't hide these feelings much longer."

"I know, but…are you sure that you want to lay it on him after he has been through so much?"

"I'm going to give him time to think before he comes to me…I'm not going to rush into it so fast."

"Ok, your majesty."

Albert exits the throne room. The knight that stood to his right follows the king downstairs. "Your majesty, Albert!" the knight called. Albert halted and turned around. The knight caught up to him and began to ask. "Where do you think you are going?" Albert takes a few minutes to stare at the knight. Without answer, Albert turns around and continues walking towards the castle exit. The knight continues to follow, even when the two exit the castle and go down the steps. He spots Lavitz walking past him, heading towards the bar with Dart. Albert stops where he's at to reassure himself that Dart and Lavitz are only friends and nothing more. He continues down the street. "Sire!" the knight calls in a whiney tone of voice. "Where are we going?" He starts the run ask Albert picks up the pace.

Later on, Albert is in his bedroom running a brush through his long light brown hair. He places the brush down and begins to stare into the mirror with a serious look on his face. He was interrupted by two knocks coming from the door. "Who is it?" Albert asks, continuing to stare at his reflection. "It's Lavitz…" said a voice. Albert looks over at the door and moves over to open it. At the entrance stood Lavitz with a stern face. "Come in." Albert welcomes. "What brings you in at this time?" Lavitz moves into the room and closes the door behind him. "You said earlier today that you wanted to discuss something with me." Lavitz responds. Albert folds his arms and gives Lavitz a small smile.

"You didn't have to come here this late at night…You had until tomorrow and the next day to come to me."

"I was aware of that, your majesty, but knowing that you had to talk to me about something made me quite restless."

"Oh…I'm sorry. I didn't mean to do that."

"That's okay, sire. So what did you want to discuss?"

Albert becomes uneasy. He moves over to his bed and sits on top of its soft mattress. "Yes…That's right. I have to tell you something." Albert mutters. Lavitz looks into his kings eyes with an expression of concern. "Is something wrong?" He asks. Albert shakes his head no and then begins his confession. "I know that this is so sudden, but…I need you to listen and not respond to anything until I am finished…understand?" He begins. Lavitz nods and replies with, "If that is what you truly desire, you majesty." Albert smiles and then takes a deep breath. "I have been keeping this to myself for too long. Lavitz, recently, I have acknowledged my feelings of need, urges, and other various feelings of what may be love. You're probably wondering, who I have these feelings for. Well, it's you…and only you. I like you more than just a friend…more than just a loyal subject. I have strong feelings for you as a significant other and nothing else. I want to be with you no matter where you go. I want to be able to hold you, kiss you…even something more. I've had this feeling since I was six! Even though, I didn't fully understand it…I could tell that it was something that could connect us like never before. Lavitz...Is there any chance of us being together for the sole purpose of love?" Albert became a little emotional as he said this. His face was hot and was the color of a cherry. Lavitz on the other hand was surprised. He didn't know what to say or do, but he knew that he had to do something eventually. Albert's patience only goes so far.

Albert waited anxiously for Lavitz's response. He stood up and moved towards Lavitz and wrapped his arms around him. The knight quickly pulled himself away and turned away. Lavitz had a hurt expression on his face. He was well aware that he had to break it to his Lord what was running through his mind. Lavitz bowed and he stayed in this position as he said "I'm terribly sorry! I cannot love you in any way…I am but a mere knight and it wouldn't be right." Albert refused to accept what Lavitz gave him as a response. He got down on his knees and looked Lavitz square in the face. Albert knew that what he was told was false. _He's lying! I cannot believe that he would do this to me! He's hiding something and I will find out! _ Albert thought. "Don't lie to me…Now tell me why…you're rejecting me in such a way. Especially after how I confessed to you." He then demands. Lavitz looks up and he saw how pissed Albert was right now. The king couldn't take rejection very well and this was how he reacted when something similar to this occurs.

"I'm sorry, sire! I was concerned for how you would take this…The truth is-!"

Lavitz begins to bow more. He was now sitting Japanese style with his chest touching the floor.

"Don't drag it out…Tell me!"

"At first…I was interested in you at one point…but when Dart came into the picture-…"

"Get out."

"Huh?"

"I said, get out…Get out of my sight!"

Lavitz quickly rises to his feet and scurries out of the room like a mouse. Albert leans against a wall and begins to cover his face. As he removes his hands, tears began to cascade down his cheeks. He moved over to his bed and threw himself onto its soft and cottony sheets, burying his face into the pillow. He wasn't sobbing, nor was he doing anything excessive with his emotions, even though he wanted to cry to release this pain his body wouldn't let him. So he was left to lay there and let his tears soak into his pillow.

Later that night, Albert was too restless to go to sleep so he decided to take a walk. He quietly moved down the stairs without making a single noise. Everyone was asleep except for those who were patrol. Albert didn't care who was coming or going he continued walking until he left the castle. He continued down the steps and began heading into the town. As he walked Albert gazed up at the night sky, admiring the many twinkling stars and the Moon that Never Sets. This immediately brought back memories of when he used to sit on the roof of Lavitz's house and gaze up at the sky. Of course, Lavitz was next to him looking as well. The fond memories of Lavitz and him brought sadness upon Albert. He could hear the sentence "I was interested in you at one point…but when Dart came into the picture-"play over and over in his head like an ongoing mantra. Albert stopped and cleared his mind. He took a deep breath and made sure that nothing that could bring him down was present. Once finished he continued to walk down the well lit street. Albert walked for hours without realizing how much time had gone by. Eventually he ended up back at Indels Castle. He gazed upon the castle and then slowly proceeded up its steps. He stopped half way to gaze at the sun peaking above the various houses in the distance. "Wow, I've been walking for that long. I didn't think that I would walk until morning." He began to say to himself. "Minister Noish is going to be very mad at me." Albert began to chuckle. Further up the stairs someone was watching Albert. He stood quietly in the shadows monitoring the king and what he was doing. The mysterious figure eventually disappeared into the darkness without a trace.

……………………………………………………………………………………………

I never thought that I would've been kicked out of the spotlight. Maybe it's because I was too late… If only I had told him sooner! If only! Some commoner just booted me out of Lavitz's mind. He's the new apple of his eye…Seemingly they just met and now he has a thing for him?! How is this possible? I cannot comprehend how some knave from out of town take precedence over me! It's his fault that I lost the one I love to another. Wait! I cannot be so self-centered and negative…it's not right. Now that I think about it maybe it's for the best. Humph! The best?! I doubt it…The man in the red armor has that brunette to love, but why choose-

Forget it… It isn't any of my business now…..

……………………………………………………………………………………………..

Once again, we start another day where Minister Noish is frantically wandering the castle in search of his missing lord. "Has anyone seen His Majesty?!" he yells. "I'm here…I'm here." Said a voice. Noish whirls around to find Albert standing behind him fully dressed in his royal attire. "You look tired, sire." Noish points out. Albert nods and slowly walks up stairs. By the looks of it, sleep deprivation had just kicked in and was beating him up pretty bad. Noish followed behind Albert pretty close just to see if he was going to safely make it to his throne. "Are you sure that you don't want to just go to bed?" Noish asks in concern. Albert plops down into the comfortable chair and looks over at Noish. "See? I made it to my throne…and I still look perfectly healthy." Albert says with a tired smile.

"No you don't! You're tired…You look as if you have been up all night long."

"Actually, I have."

"What?! Why?"

"I was taking a walk to clear my head…I ventured around Bale trying to get something out of my head."

"Did something go wrong?"

"All I am willing to tell you is that…Lavitz visited me last night."

"Did you talk to him about…_that?_"

"Noish…please. I don't really want to talk about it."

Noish could sense that the result of the conversation held by the king with Lavitz turned out bad. He moved closer to Albert and got on one knee. "Listen, if there's anything…and I mean anything that you would like to talk about…I am willing to listen." He says in a low tone of voice. Albert nods and then stands up to approach the railing. "Good morning, Your Majesty." Said Lavitz, bowing respectfully. Albert saw that Lavitz had Dart behind him. Albert's tired expression immediately turned into a glare that could send chills up and down any person's spine. "Good morning. Now what is it that you want?" Albert asks with a rude tone of voice. Dart and Lavitz rose to their feet and looked up at the obviously moody king. "I would like to notify you that I will be leaving the castle to train with Dart a few miles outside of Bale." Lavitz states. Remembering what happened last night made the young knight uneasy. "Fine…Go, but only under one condition." The king begins. "You have to take me with you. No ifs, ands, or buts." Lavitz was surprised. Why would Albert want to go outside of Bale just to train, when he knows that he needs to stay at the castle and rule the country? Albert folds his arms and begins to smile as if he had a plan in mind. _I refuse to let this go so easily…I will see if he is worthy of being my competition and Lavitz's significant other._

**End of Part 2**


	3. Royal Envy

What is Meant to Be

Chapter 3: Royal Envy

(Note: This will be told from Lavitz's point of View.)

I was surprised. Never before has the King requested to go training with others. Though, I had a bad feeling about every aspect with this. I wanted to object to his decision, but I had to hold my tongue. Questioning the king's decisions came with its price and sometimes, it would be best if I not test him. I watched the king exit the throne room. I looked over at Dart and began to think about the potential situation at hand. Could His Majesty be planning something in accordance to what occurred last night. Was he stricken with a slight amount of jealousy? If so, what should I do? I cannot take back what I had said to him…I wish not to lie, but even if it meant hurting him…then I am sorry.

Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Minister Noish approach me from the side. He took me by the arm and led me to the balcony. The minister had a stern expression upon his face. Knowing Noish, this wasn't good at all. "What did you do to His Majesty, Albert?!" Noish says in a demanding tone. I was shocked for a moment. I almost didn't know how to respond to a question that had such force to it. When I replied, I had a feeling that I asked a very idiotic question. "What did I do?"

"Don't give me that! He said that he talked to you last night. Obviously, the conversation didn't turn out too well…so tell me, Sir Lavitz, what did you say?"

"I simply told him that at one point I was interested in him, but now he was replaced with Dart."

I watched as Noish's expression began to transform. I had a great feeling that I had just shot myself in the foot or something of the sort. Noish was about to go on a rant or some kind of trip…He gave that look that just screamed _I am going to give this fool a piece of my mind, _but it seemed as if he changed his mind. Noish had taken a deep breath and exhaled, calming himself down. "Now, listen Lavitz. You have to fix this because I'm not liking what the king is plotting. I'm concerned for His Majesty's sake. Please right the wrongs." Noish began to plead a little. He then leaves me to return to his spot near the throne. As he left, I began to hear foot steps drawing near. "Are you ready, Lavitz?" That voice came from King Albert, but something was different. I couldn't place my finger on it exactly, but it was probably the air around him that was different. I couldn't feel that bright feeling that I used to have just standing near him or talking to him. I guess that I better tread carefully since he's traveling with both Dart and me.

"So Dart, what do you plan to do once you find what you are looking for?" Albert began to converse with Dart in a friendly manner as they exited the throne room. I couldn't help, but to follow closely behind the two. Dart had an unsure expression on his face as he said, "I am not sure yet…I guess I would have to find him first." I was racking my brain like never before trying to figure out how to "fix" this situation, but I still couldn't wrap my brain around this so I decided to give it a break and attend to the matter at hand, but when I came back to reality, I didn't know that I was being stared at by two different people.

"Lavitz, I have been trying to get your attention for the past minute." Albert states. I looked over at him and then respond with a quick "I'm sorry, Your Majesty. What is it that you need?" I watched Albert fold his arms and reply with, "Where are we headed, Lavitz?" I began to rub the back of my head. I never really thought about where we were going. I was just going to randomly choose a place. So, I had no other choice but to pick a random spot off of the top of my head. "The plains are where we shall train." Albert gave a smile as a response and continued down the stairs.

Once we hit Bale, Albert stops and begins to glance in random directions. "Is something wrong, Your Majesty?" I decided to ask. He didn't answer instead he just continues walking. Dart and I continue to follow him without any question to why he did that. In what seemed like five minutes, we were out of Bale and headed towards the plains. In order to get there, this meant traveling through the Limestone Cavern. The cavern was only a couple of miles away if not more. "I want to talk…" Albert randomly states. I was hoping that he wasn't going to talk about what I think he wants to talk about. "I know, Significant-"I had to come up with another subject before he could continue with what he was about to say. "How was your day, Your Majesty?" I asked. I know that it was plain, random, and wouldn't stand any chance of turning into a long conversation, but it was a shot. I just had to see how long this was going to last. Maybe I could drag it out until we get there.

"Um….I guess it was alright. There wasn't anything to it. I'm just really tired that's all. A pretty bad case of sleep deprivation and that's about it." He begins to respond. Great, now if he would just go on like this until we get there. I was able to see the Limestone Cavern in the distance. As we walked, Albert began to drift to the back of the group. "Lavitz, could you go up ahead and see if everything is clear. We'll wait at the entrance." Albert's command made me cringe. That meant that I had to leave him and Dart by themselves. I didn't want to go, but I had to. Why me?! Oh why me?! I had no choice so I decided to proceed farther ahead just to make sure that everything was clear. I really despised doing this. I had to do what I had to do. I made my way through the entrance of the cave and drew my weapon. I walked with caution as I proceeded across the slippery rocks and small streams that were made by the cracks in the rocks. I stood at a forked path and just looked both ways before turning around and heading back to the rest of the group.

As I exited the cave, I noticed that something was entirely wrong. One, was that Dart had a guilt ridden expression on his face that wasn't like any other. Never before have I seen something like this since I met him. Dart was always an optimistic, positive, determined person…but…now it was different. It was like looking at a child that had been punished. Next, you had His Majesty Albert. He had a devilish smile on his face. Even though this expression resembled something devious, his eyes said something much sadder. "Lavitz…" Dart began to speak up. "I didn't know that….you…" I began to direct my attention to the ground. Knowing the fact that he knew that I had feelings for him made me feel slightly embarrassed. I couldn't look him dead in the eye. It wasn't the right time for him to know, it just wasn't. Why would His Majesty do this? Was this all out of jealousy? That's the only explanation for it. "After all of this time," Dart continued. "You had feelings for me? I don't know how to feel. It's shocking, yet sad at the same time." I didn't understand what he meant by sad…How was it sad? It was about time that I added what I had to say into this conversation. "How is it sad?" A silence fell upon us. Obviously Dart wasn't willing to answer the question, so I decided to turn to His Majesty and begin questioning him. "What are you up to, Albert?" I know that I was speaking on informal terms, but I didn't care. This meant business and I was going to get down to the root of the problem and stomp it out.

Albert looks over at me with a sinister gaze. Within the blink of an eye, this expression was gone; it was as if he never looked at me with that chilling gaze. "What do you mean?" Albert asked. "You know good and well what I mean…You have jealousy written all over your face. You dislike that fact that I do not have any feelings for you. Don't worry, I know your game and you can't hide it from me." I watched Albert's expression change. He wasn't the happy king that both I and the rest of the knights knew. He was the complete opposite…something that I could never imagine happening in my entire life. Then, as I stood there, I noticed something happen to his majesty. The king was expressing himself in a way that I never thought to be imaginable. He began to form his hands into two quivering fists. I wanted to hurry over to him and calm him down, but I was afraid that he would punch me with those two fists. I didn't know what to do, when I saw his face become twisted with anger, I wanted to soothe him….Maybe what I said was a little harsh. "So that's how it is…" Albert began to speak. "Hm?"

Obviously he wasn't happy, well neither was I. "So, do you detest me? Do you wish for me to go? "Albert continues. I didn't know how to answer. I know that I didn't detest him, I didn't love him as a significant other…I only liked him as a friend, but how do I tell someone that, Especially when he looks as if he was about to go of like a bomb. "No…don't think that" and the gas was then added to the fire. Dart had to step in and add his point of view. "He couldn't detest you. Lavitz-"I had to stop him before he worsens the situation at hand. "Stop, Dart! I don't need you making this worse. I only like His Majesty as a friend and respect him as my lord. There's nothing else beyond that and I wish that we leave it at that." A flowing cloth catches my eye. I noticed that Albert headed in the other direction. More or less, he was headed back to Bale. I didn't have a problem with him returning home, but what began to really trouble me was the fact that he was going off by himself. I didn't think twice. I rushed after him. He didn't get far before I caught up to him and stopped him. The king pushed me aside and continued walking. "Your majesty, please, stop and listen." I called out. I watched King Albert stop and turn around. He had a really snotty expression upon his face as he said, " I have nothing to talk to you about. Now, go away before I decide to forbid you from stepping foot in my castle! "I let him pass me and continue towards home. I've angered him and probably let him down. I was supposed to be his loyal knight and instead of fulfilling my duties I've let him slip between my fingers and get away… I don't know what to do now. I had no intention on returning back to where I had left Dart, but this was for the sake of His Majesty and me…too much was at stake. I continued after the king, but I kept a safe distance from him. I followed him all the way back to Indels Castle where I stopped at the foot of the steps and watched my lord storm all the way to the top. Should I follow? I wanted to just so that I could patch everything up, but I didn't want to be thrown out of the castle. *sigh* I'm going to take that risk.

I rushed up the steps and quickly moved through the castle, avoiding every noble and castle worker there was. "LAVITZ SLAMBERT!!!!" I heard a familiar voice yell my name. I turned around to see an angry Minister breathing down my neck. " Yes, Minister Noish?"

"Don't give me that! Tell me, why was His Majesty by himself?! You are a knight of Basil; you are supposed to protect your lord at all times. How far-"

"Wait, wait, wait! Give me some time to tell my half of the story."

Minister Noish finally stops and folds his arms. Thus, I continue hoping that no one interrupts.

" Well, Minister…I've upset his majesty…He threatened me…He said that he was going forbid me from stepping foot in this castle. "

"Ah…He wasn't serious."

"Why would you assume that?"

"It's not an assumption…It's a known fact. This has happened before with Sir Lucien, but unlike you…This knight loved to test people. He tested his majesty Albert and ended up being scolded, but never kicked out of the castle."

"But this is definitely different from then."

" That may be so, but it wouldn't hurt you to fix this little issue."

I hurried off. I couldn't let another second pass, knowing that His Majesty was in great emotional distress because of me. I climbed the stairs with only one thing in my mind. I ran into a few knights but I took no time to apologize. My first stop was the throne room. I looked up at the crimson red chair that the king normally sat in, but of course he wasn't there. I should've known better than to look at that thing. When someone is _this _distressed, they wouldn't go sit on their throne. "Aha!" I chirped as an idea came into my head. Maybe His Majesty was on the balcony. Now that I think about it, he would normally go out onto the balcony to clear his mind when ever something upsets him. I rushed out onto the closest balcony, only to find Dart's friend Shana. She turned around and stared at me with a worried expression. I stared back wondering if I should be spending my time to ask questions as to why she was staring at me at such a way. I was going to tell her that I was busy, but she had spoke before I could even part my lips. "What's wrong with His Majesty?" She asks. I had a strong feeling that something like this was going to come up. I really didn't want her to know about our situation. I'm trying as hard as I could to keep anyone else from butting in unnecessarily. "Don't worry about it." I told her. "I'm on it. I will find out and fix whatever is wrong."

I really didn't have to find out…I was the cause. I bolted off before another word could be said. To make sure that I didn't miss him, I checked the other balcony, but alas…the young king wasn't there. I had no other choice but to check his room. I didn't care that I didn't have permission to go into his chambers, I was determined to find him before he did anything drastic, which I highly doubt that would actually happen. I moved up the next set of stairs and headed to the round oak door that led to the tower that contained the king's chambers. I turned the knob and opened the door. I proceeded through the door and made my way to the large tower that stood in front of me. I proceeded over the walkway connecting to two buildings to each other. I stood at the door to the king's chambers and rested my hand upon the knob. With the other hand I knocked on the door. "Sire, we need to talk…We have to set everything straight!" I called. I stood there and waited for a response…………………..Nothing, I received absolutely no response from the King. I knocked again and called out to him, but once again, I got absolutely nothing. "King Albert, I know you're mad, but at least you could say something to me! I shouldn't have upset you in any kind of way…but please…Please open this door!" Again, I got nothing. Now, I am worried. I had to get in there, for both of our sakes! He couldn't have done something drastic! He wouldn't, yet this awkward silence irked me and worried me all the same.

*crash* *thud* *shatter* I could tell something had hit the floor pretty hard. Could that have been His Majesty?! What did he do?! I couldn't stand here any longer just thinking about what he may've done, I had to find out!!!

What could I do?!

Who could I tell?!

What's going on?!

Why? Why? Why did it turn out this way?

But really…Was this all because of me? Was I truly the one at fault? Would I be held responsible for His Majesty's emotional pain…even though jealousy took over a part of his soul?

All of these questions rushed through my head and then my mind went blank…even though, I should be rushing to His Majesty's aid, I was standing there…Just standing there…thinking of what to do next. My hand slipped off of the doorknob and fell down by my side. I guess…I guess…I was truly afraid of what I was going to find behind that door and what consequences may spill out once it is opened…


	4. Unpleasant Consequences

What is Meant to be

Chapter 4:

Unpleasant Consequences

Lavitz slowly turns around and looks at the door that leads into the throne room. " I….should go and tell someone. I know that would be the right thing to do, but…would I be blamed for all of this once he recovers. I shouldn't be hesitating like this. It's not exactly right…especially for a knight. I can't waste anymore time. I will only have to find out once His Majesty regains conscience." He slowly walked towards the door, but why? Why was the knight that was head of the first knighthood walking at such a slow pace. Lavitz tried his best to move faster but something within him just deterred him from going any faster. So, once he was though the door he simply called out to the other knights that were wandering in and out of the throne room. " Fellow knights!" Lavitz called. " His Majesty is in dire need of our help! He has fallen within his chambers and yet there is no way of reaching him! Please help me clear the way to him." Once Lavitz was finished with his call, five to ten knights rushed up the stairs and out of the door.

Three of the knights were ready to kick the door down to get to their fallen lord, but a call from the very back of the group stopped them. " DO NOT, touch that door!" It was Sir Lucien. He was making his way to the front of the knights with a key in hand. The knight stood in front of the door and began to insert the key into the bronze knob. He jiggled the key around and then turned it, unlocking the door and making it possible to enter the room. Once the door was opened, half of the knights quickly spilled into the room and formed a circle around Albert. Lavitz gazed into the room and immediately, the color flushed from his face.

On the floor was his king. He lay amongst shattered glass and alcohol. From the looks of it the amount of glass appeared to have once been at least three bottles. Albert was a white as a sheet. What did he try to do? He couldn't have attempted to drink himself to death. Lavitz approached the fallen king and kneeled beside him. He didn't know what to think or how to act. Albert surely wasn't dead…both he and the others knew that. Sir Lucien took off his gauntlet and laid it beside him. He took his exposed hand and gently touched the King's face starting with his forehead and then his cheeks. Lucien slipped his hand back into the Gauntlet and looked up at his fellow allies. "He's kind of warm…" Lucien states with his mouth turned up at the end. " And he's breathing…it's just that eerie, pale, color that he has to his skin, is what I cannot figure out. Hmmmmm…Take His Majesty downstairs and into the empty room…you know…That one with the bed and chest of drawers? Annnnnd….Wait…what's your name?" Lucien then asks pointing at a young knight with long red hair and green eyes. "I'm Serafino…What would you like for me to do?" he softly asks. Lucien stands up and commands. " I need you to get someone from the clinic in town to come and visit. Make sure they hurry." Serafino nods and speeds out of the room. " I'll carry him downstairs…it's the least I could do." Lavitz volunteers with a bland tone of voice. Lucien stares at Lavitz with a look of concern as he carefully lifts the king into his arms and makes his way out of the room.

"Is something wrong with Lavitz?" Lucien questions the group. The knights all shrug their shoulders and exited the room, one after the other.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Thirty minutes had passed. Lavitz patiently waited outside of the empty room. He wanted to know how his lord was. " I don't want to be the cause of this…no. I couldn't be." Lavitz muttered to himself. "But for some reason…I just feel so guilty." "Are you okay, Sir Lavitz?" said a familiar voice. Lavitz looked to his right and found Serafino standing there with a look of concern upon his face. Lavitz shook his head and folded his arms. Serafino sat in the closest chair. " He'll be okay. Don't worry. Though, your face says that you are worried for His Majesty, your eyes tell me so much more." He states. Lavitz closed his eyes and looked away. " Don't do that. I really don't appreciate you reading my mind through my eyes." Lavitz states. Serafino gives a small chuckle.

Serafino had this special ability to read a person's thoughts just by looking through the eyes of a person. He never had to ask a person what was on their mind. He found it to be a unique gift that came in handy every so often.

"I'm sorry." Serafino apologizes. "It's a habit." Lavitz looks back at the young red headed knight and smiles. The door swings open and out walked the doctor. He closes the door behind him and then glances at the two knights that were standing by. " He'll be okay…as long as he remains calm, gets plenty of rest, and stay away from the booze!" the Doctor reports. " He has been under a lot of stress…or so it seems. Plus, his majesty mentions that he has sleep deprivation…not a good combination….not good at all. I asked him a lot of questions concerning his health, just to make sure that there aren't any problems that I am not covering. He's fine in that department…From what one of nobles told me, His Majesty had gone through a sudden mental breakdown when he stepped foot inside of this castle. Thus, he tried to drown his problem in a massive amount of booze…I'm surprised that he's still functioning properly. So much at one time…That's waaaaaaay too much alcohol to be chugging down at once especially when you're a light weight. That's beside the point. What I'm trying to get at is that he needs to be left alone for awhile. He cannot see anything that could put him under anymore stress than he has now…just take good care of him, please." The doctor begins to walk off but he then suddenly pauses and turns around. " Wait…Might I ask, what caused this?" Lavitz looks over at Serafino and the young red head looks back at Lavitz. The two then look at the doctor and shrug their shoulders. Of course, Lavitz was the one lying to the middle aged man. The doctor didn't say anything else, instead he made his way out of the castle.

Serafino placed a hand on Lavitz's shoulder and then heads off to fulfill his duties. Lavitz on the other hand walked towards the door and placed his hand on the knob. He slowly turned the knob and opened the door. "Lavitz!" Lavitz snatched his hand off of the knob and spun around to find Dart approaching him. "When did you return?" Lavitz asked. Dart answered, "Fifteen minutes ago. I just entered the castle." Lavitz quickly spoke up. " I'm sorry for today…I didn't-" Dart placed a finger upon Lavitz's lips before he could finish his sentence. "No…I understand…You don't have to apologize, it's no big deal." Dart states. He returned his hand by his side and continues with, " Even though, I can't return your feelings right now, I could part with you this." Dart quickly claims Lavitz's mouth in a kiss. Lavitz quickly turned beet red and he could feel his ears grow hot. Dart pulled away and winks. He then takes off down the hall.

To little that they know, the king saw everything through the crack of the door. Though through a normal person's eyes, this would be shocking, seeing the one that they love being kissed by another. Yet, through Albert's eyes, this seemed as if it wasn't a big deal. Or was it? If it was, then the king surely wasn't expressing it properly. The king scuffled back to his bed and sat down and stared at the wall. He didn't have an expression on his face to tell how he was feeling.

The door slowly opens and Lavitz enters. He leaves the door open just in case something was to occur. " Sire, it's great to know that you're alright." Lavitz says with a sigh of relief. " May I ask you a question?" he then asks, approaching the king step by step. Albert doesn't respond, he just continues to stare at the wall. "Why did you do what you did? Why did you put yourself in harm's way? Was it because of me? Did jealousy get the best of you? Was I at fault in any kind of way?" Lavitz was determined to squeeze an answer out of his king.

"no." Albert answers in a small voice. The King looks over at Lavitz with empty eyes. "don't blame it all on yourself…most of it is because I allowed my jealousy to get the best of me." Something didn't seem right. Lavitz felt as if he was talking to a zombie. Lavitz sat at the foot of the bed and stared at his king. He didn't want to comment on what was just said. "I knew that you had no sort of feelings for me and yet…I became persistent. . . "Albert continues. _What is he thinking? How could he just continuously blame himself for this? This isn't like him…What's going through his mind right now… Wait! _Lavitz thought. He jumped up and moved towards the door. "Serafino! Serafino!" Lavitz called. He then takes a deep and then yells. "Serafino Damien Almeric, Get your sorry ass over here!!!!"

In the distance you could here sounds of stumbling. Serafino flew around the corner and ran towards Lavitz. The red head came to a sudden stop right in front of Lavitz and looked at him with a confused look. "What….what…What do you need?" He huffed. Lavitz took Serafino by the arm and pulled him into the room. Lavitz and Serafino approached the king and stopped right at the foot of the bed. "Him…I need you to use your power on him. He's not his usual self… I would like to know what is going on in his mind right now." The green clad knight explains. Serafino gives a heavy sigh and moves closer to the king. He gently takes Albert by the chin and makes him look through his eyes. As Serafino used his power, his expression began to change rapidly. Lavitz could tell by the expression on Serafino's face that what ever he was seeing was really bad. The knight felt as if he may go on a guilt trip.

"So, what's going through his mind, Sera?" Lavitz hesitantly asks. Serafino slowly let's go of Albert's chin and turns around. He makes his way out the door. Lavitz, in a state of confusion, followed the red head out of the room. Once Lavitz exited the room Serafino closed the door behind him. "How bad is it?" Lavitz questions. Serafino flips his hair back and gives Lavitz a concerned look. "In Dart's case…it's very bad. Lavitz, the only thing that I can suggest right now is to keep Dart as far away from this castle as possible. Don't mention his name in front of His Majesty….Just keep him away! I don't know what went on but it's having quite the effect on His Majesty's psyche…I've never seen anything like this!" Serafino caught himself before he got carried away. He took a deep breath and calmed down. The red head continues, "Give him about a month and he'll probably be able to tolerate Red." Lavitz raised an eyebrow. _Red? He has to be referring to Dart…Now that I think about it, you hardly see anybody walking around in red armor._ Lavitz thought. "But seriously Lavitz…Don't worry about it. None of this is your fault-"Serafino paused mid sentence to realize that Lavitz was giving him a nasty glare. "I'm sorry…I couldn't help it. I didn't mean to read you…I swear!"

"Tis night fall!" yelled Minister Noish. "All knights get on your posts and prepare for duty!" He walked past the two knights without saying any other words. This surprised Lavitz. He was prepared for the worst from the Minister. Lavitz followed Minister Noish with his eyes making sure that he had absolutely nothing to say. Once he turned the corner, Lavitz gave a heavy sigh and looked at the door that led to room that the King resided in.

"Have a good night, you majesty…" Lavitz whispers. _I hope he makes a speedy recovery. I can't stand seeing him like this. Even though he blames it all on himself…I still feel as if I am responsible. There has to be something that I could do. *sigh*_

Lavitz drew his weapon and began to patrol the castle. That night, as Lavitz patrolled Indels Castle, He couldn't help but think about his stress ridden king. He couldn't help it…More than likely he felt as if he was the bearer of stressful situations. Lavitz had a strong desire to fix everything, right wrongs, and do what ever he had to do, but he realized that it would have to wait until the King fully recovers before he could take any definite action and make an impact. Lavitz stood by the window and spent the rest of the night gazing up at the Moon that Never Sets…wondering what else was there to come, dealing with these various feelings of love, hate, and remorse….He'd just have to wait and see…wait until everything returns to normal…if that was possible…


	5. Too Fast of a Recovery

What was Meant to Be

Chapter: 5

Too Fast of a Recovery

Of all the people to stay up late at night, Lavitz was the one to do it. Even though he was dedicated to his job…sometimes he was "too dedicated", if there ever was such a thing. At this exact moment, Lavitz was in a deep sleep within his quarters. Normally, he would go home to sleep, just so that he could make sure that his mother was doing well, but this time, he was too fatigued to even take a step down the stairs.

Not too far from where Lavitz was residing at, was Serafino. He seemed to be searching for someone in particular. He turned the corner and entered Lavitz's room. His face lit up and he smiled a toothy smile. The young red headed knight walked up to the sleeping knight and began to bang on his armor. Yes, Lavitz slept in his armor…only because he was too tired to take it off before he went to bed. Serafino banged on the green clad knight's armor again. This time Lavitz swatted at Serafino and then rolled over only to fall off of the bed. Lavitz was finally awake. "What do you want?" Lavitz asks sleepily. Serafino smiles and then helps the fallen knight up. "You have to see this!" He states. He pulls Lavitz out of his room and up the stairs. It was hard for Lavitz to run well in armor, but the fact that he was sleepy made it worse. Serafino continued to pull Lavitz along behind him. "Where are we going?" Lavitz asks. Serafino doesn't answer; instead he pulls the knight into the throne room. "What's there to see here, Sera?" Lavitz then asks. Serafino points up at an angle. Lavitz follows the red head's finger and notices the unexpected. Albert, who was supposed to be in bed, was sitting on the throne. He looked better than he did yesterday, but not a hundred percent. "Sire!" Lavitz voiced. "You're not supposed to be up there. I suggest that you return to your proper chamber and get more rest." Albert chuckles and stands. "I'm fine Lavitz, don't worry about me! I have one small mission for you today." Albert states. Minister Noish interrupts before Albert could say another word. "I wouldn't actually call it small, My Lord. He IS traveling to Hoax after all."

"You are correct….Anyways." Albert clears his throat. "You, Lavitz, are to help Sir Kaiser and his forces protect the fortress from the Sandora Army. Dart will accompany you. I've already spoken with him. " Lavitz was surprised. Why Albert would risk his now delicate mind talking to the person to whom he had despised was unknown and yet weird to him. "B-but sire!" Lavitz stumbled over his words. " You need to be monitored carefully…and how would it be possible in my absence? " Albert's expression changed. "I need no monitoring…I'm no child Lavitz. I am twenty-six years old and the King of Bale…I think I can take care of myself."

Minister Noish walks down the stairs and stands beside Lavitz. "Don't worry, Lavitz." Minister Noish spoke softly. "His Majesty is in good hands. I'll make sure that the other knights look after him carefully." Lavitz gave a sigh of relief, but then he realized something. "Wait…His Majesty just stated that he spoke to Dart. Knowing what happened…How could you let him speak to him?" the knight questions. Minister Noish couldn't answer; instead he makes his way back up the stairs and took his position beside the throne.

"Hurry and move out, Lavitz. There's no time to waste." Albert commands. Lavitz bowed and made his way out of the castle.

Before Lavitz could take a step outside, Serafino grabbed his shoulder. Lavitz stopped and looked back at the red headed knight. "Don't worry." Serafino begins. "I'll give His Majesty all of the attention that I can give. I'll take your place temporarily!" Lavitz smiled and then continued out of the castle. "Good luck, my friend…" Serafino muttered as he watched his friend leave Indels Castle.

Lavitz could see his friends in the distance. He carefully made his way down the many steps of the castle. Once he stepped foot on the ground he rejoined Dart and Shana and made his way to the entrance of the town. Even though Lavitz was glad to be back with his friends, the air about him and Dart made the mood seem heavy and hard to cope with. Shana observed the two as they made their way through the town. "Um…Dart, could you please remind me of where we are going?" Shana asks, trying to break the silence. Dart looked over at Shana and smiled. "We're going to Hoax… We have to help the knighthood defend the fortress from imperial Sandora." Shana smiled in return. She expected Lavitz to give his input but it seemed as if the young knight was caught up in thought. "Lavitz, are you ok?" She couldn't help but to ask, though her question resulted in silence. Lavitz sighed and picked up the pace as he left Bale. Dart and Shana glanced at each other and then hurried behind Lavitz.

*

Serafino sighed. He knew that he had a very important task on his hands. "Hmmmm….What do I do to start it off? Does that mean that I have to take my position in the throne room? Do I have to follow him around and watch him like a hawk? Nah…I don't think I have to go THAT far…" Serafino muttered to himself. The young red head paced back and forth across the hallway. Sir Lucien approached Serafino and tapped him on the shoulder. Serafino leaped forward out of fear and hit the wall in front of him. "Hey, Sera. . . I have a question for you." Lucien asks. Serafino takes a deep breath and states, "No, I do not have that "special thing" that you ordered…yet…It won't come in until next week." Lucien quickly covered Serafino mouth.

"No, and keep quiet about that! People don't need to know about my private affairs…and you are aware what will happen if His Majesty finds out…right?"

Lucien uncovers Serafino's mouth and wipes his hand on his pants.

"Yes, I am aware. So what do you want?"

"Where did the man in the black come from?"

"Say what?"

"The man in the black cloak! He's in the throne room right now…Where did he come from? I heard that he was one of His Majesty's royal advisors…but when did he get into the castle?"

"No one came into the castle today! So I didn't see anyone in black…Hmmmm."

Serafino and Lucien move up the hallway and took the various stairs to get to the uppermost level of the castle. Once they entered the throne room, Serafino glanced up in the direction of the throne. Behind the throne and to the right, was the black robed man. The young knight looked over at his friend and then quickly made his way up the stairs to approach the king. "Your Majesty Albert!" Serafino calls in a stern tone of voice. Albert looks over at Serafino and gives a small smile. "How may I help you Sir Serafino?" He questions. "I want to know who that is." Serafino responds. Albert looks at him with an expression of shock. Albert kept his cool and simply answered Serafino's question. "That is my advisor…He will help me end this accursed war between us and the south." Serafino immediately became displeased. "Does Lavitz know about him?" the red head asks. Albert raises an eyebrow and then chuckles. He looks back at the man in black and requests that he leave the area. The man in black glided down the stairs and left the throne room. Once gone, two knights guarded the entrance to make sure that no one entered nor exited the room.

"Now, why would I need to get Lavitz's permission to have a court advisor assist me with the war?" Albert questions. "We, correction, Lavitz was told to take good care of you…and Lavitz handed that responsibility over to me. We know you can handle affairs well by yourself, but you may be doing something that could potentially harm you…I mean, have you actually looked at the man?! He's dressed in all black and he looks suspicious! He cannot be-" "Enough." Albert interrupted. " I will not stand here and listen to this foolishness." Even though Serafino was trying to help this made the king more and more upset as Serafino tried to explain why he was asking all of these various questions. Serafino was trying to hold onto his composure the best that he could as he replied, "Foolishness?! I'm sorry sire, but this is anything but foolishness! I'm only doing this so I know that you won't end up hurting yourself again! And from what I see…this was but one of many times that you harmed yourself and others." Minister Noish's eyes widened as Serafino said this. "That time when your father died…..You felt cornered as more and more issues arose in the lack of his presence-" Lucien's eyes also widened. _How far is he going to go? Now, Serafino's just fighting dirty…but, is he doing this to prove a point, to help His Majesty, or to get under his skin…_ thought the middle aged knight.

"You didn't know what to do…Where to turn…How to solve these newly found problems...So far as I see it, you wasn't able to handle the first week of being thrown into the position of King yet you took it harder than most people…even for those who's parent had died. You tried to douse out your sorrows by-" Serafino was cut off by a loud slam of Albert's hand onto the arm of his throne. "Shut up!" boomed the king. The once thought to be quiet, calm, cool king was now pissed beyond belief. Serafino had hit that one button that sent the king flying over the edge. The knight knew that he had to be careful. He knew all too well that Albert was in a very fragile state of mind and he didn't need the King to go on another mental breakdown escapade. "Don't delve into my life! I've had my problems!! I've gotten over them!! Go back to you post Sir Almeric and I don't ever want you in my face, much less…in my throne room ever again or you will be severely punished!!!" Albert commanded. Serafino didn't budge. "Did you not hear me?!" Albert asks. "Get over yourself…" Serafino states sternly."

Albert leaned towards Serafino, his face red with anger. "E-excuse me?!" "You heard me…Get over yourself, Albert." Serafino repeats. Minister Noish wanted to step in and stop before things become even more heated, but something kept him from doing so. "Have you no respect?" Albert questions. " Do you fail to realize who you're talking to?!!!! I am-"

" A poor king who goes completely insane when the one he loves is taken by a mere commoner. Big deal, Albert…Sometimes it happens but you have to get over it. There are others."

"Silence!"

"Why? Is it because I have a point?"

" No you do not, now hold your tongue before you say something that you will regret!"

"HA! Say something that I would regret…I fail to see what I would regret! Look! Lavitz doesn't want you anymore! He has eyes for Dart and Dart alone! Though that may've changed a little it still hasn't affected them much! Just face it, you've been pushed out of the picture and you don't have your little pity party to back you up!!!"

*smack* That was all you heard when Serafino finished his sentence. " He didn't!" Lucien gasps. "Serafino!" Minster Noish moved forward and caught Serafino before he hit the floor. The enraged King Albert had lunged forward and backhanded Serafino across the face with a great force that wasn't known to him. After the damage was done, Albert stared at his hand in confusion and then looked back at Serafino. The red headed knight looked at his king with a sneer on his face. He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and stood up. "So the king has a little fight in him…bravo. Humph, I'll let this subject be…but I hope what I've mentioned help you realize something. I'll continue to do Lavitz's job while he's out so don't push me away just yet, my lord." Serafino states while holding his mouth. The young knight takes his leave. The two knights that guarded the entrance parted and allowing Serafino and Lucien to leave the throne room. "I-I-I can't sit here anymore…I need to rest…I just-" Albert began. "Just head to your room, sire…take a nap and refresh yourself…and you'll be as good as new." Albert stood up and made his way out of the throne room. "I guess, I should've mentioned that he could rest in his original quarters…oh well…I'll tell him later."

"What's wrong with you?!" Lucien yelled. Serafino looks into mirror and took a good look at his injury. "Nothing was wrong…I just thought that I'd help him realize that moping over Lavitz isn't going to get him anywhere, but in the clinic again. He can't run or hide from these things…and hurting himself constantly wasn't going to do any good either…Plus that creepy looking advisor…Obviously, Minister Noish had little knowledge of him. So another point that I tried to establish…That he needs to consult a few people before he does something reckless like bring some criminal looking…thing into the castle." Lucien folds his arms and gives a skeptical look. "Criminal looking thing…nice choice of words, but that's beside the point. There were plenty of alternate ways to approaching this other than pissing the King off. You told me that we needed to treat the King with care not treat him like…I don't know… like an enemy! I swear, the whole time I was in there it felt like some form of interrogation or taunt or a see if Serafino can piss off the king challenge…Something!" Serafino continues to look at his mouth. "The corner of my mouth split apart a little…hmm…a quarter of an inch…that's my guess." Serafino mumbled. Lucien folds his arms and mutters, "We need to be serious." Serafino held a white cloth on the corner of his mouth to suppress the bleeding. "I'm sorry but…wow, that little bastard has one on him!"

"Serafino!!!!"

"I'm sorry…I'm sorry…I respect the king with all my heart…I adore him like none other…Don't kill me Lucien."

"Let's go…You need to get that wound treated…It doesn't seem to be letting up. I thought it was going to get better until you opened your big mouth and made it worse!"

"Ok…Ok…I'm sorry."

Lucien escorted Serafino out of the castle. In the room that Albert resided in, the man in the black was discussing certain matters with the king. "Yes, I will go through with it…I am certain, but now, could you please take your leave…I feel very ill…" Albert states. "Yes, Your Majesty. I shall take my leave…It was a pleasure serving you today." The man in black responds. The black cloaked man left the room, closing and locking the door on it's way out. Albert moved slowly into bed and rested his head on the pillow. " I couldn't have been pushed out of the spotlight…there's no way…" He muttered as he closed his eyes and drifted off into a deep slumber.


	6. Truth, Feelings, and War

What is Meant to be

Chapter 6: Truth, Feelings, and War

Lavitz shivered as he walked through the entrance to Hoax. "That's weird…It's warm…and yet, I'm shivering as if it were freezing cold." He said to himself. Shana overhears him and responds, "Maybe something happened…to cause this…or it could be some phantom spirit." Lavitz gave a small smile. Knowing where they were at, Lavitz really didn't want to think about spirits or anything involving souls of the dead yet he didn't want to think about the possibility that something may have occurred that required his attention. "Well…Let's head to HQ." Lavitz begins, "We need to meet up with Kaiser, go over the battle plans and then prepare for Sandora's attack. Shana and Lavitz began to walk, but Dart remained in the distance. Something weighed heavy on his mind. Lavitz could feel that something was wrong, but he was afraid to acknowledge Dart's unusual silence. Before they arrived at Hoax the young armor clad man was fine, he held a nice conversation with the rest of the party and he wore a smile upon his face, but now it looked as if something struck him hard. Lavitz turned around and looked at Dart. "uhm, Dart?" Dart immediately snapped out of it and ran to catch up with the group. "Is something wrong?" Dart questions. Lavitz was about to ask what was wrong, but he didn't want to stir any ill feelings that may've been running rampant within the warrior's mind. Instead Lavitz shook his head and then entered a nearby building.

A man in well decorated armor sat at a fairly large wooden table. Two nights in silver armor and blue pants were at his side. When Lavitz entered the room the two soldiers snapped to attention and rendered a salute. The man in the decorated armor looked up and found Lavitz standing before him. The man jumped out of the chair. "LAVITZ!" he said in a bold and welcoming tone. "Kaiser, how's everything going?" Lavitz responded. Kaiser's expression immediately changed for the worse. "It's bad, Lavitz. Everything has been getting tense lately . . . very tense. The enemy has obtained a dragon. I don't know how they were able to get a hold of one…" Lavitz shifted a little and then folded his arms. "Then let's get down to business…" Lavitz states in a stern voice. "I have with me my comrades, Dart and Shana. Dart is a great warrior and can handle combat very well-" Lavitz was interrupted by Kaiser who said, "Wait, sir Lavitz, I would like to ask you something…"

"What would you like to ask"

"Before you arrived here…I got wind that there was some ruckus at Indels a few days ago…His Majesty Albert was heavily involved…Do you mind explaining that?"

"I am afraid that I cannot discuss that matter. Though I was witness to it. It is His Majesty's business and I wish not to recall such an ordeal. Also, this is not the right time and or place to be discussing such matters."

"Well said."

Kaiser began to grin. "I expected no less from Sir Lavitz…One of King Albert's most trusted men." Lavitz sighed and gave a small smile. "Can we please get down to business…We have serious matters to attend to." Kaiser immediately cut his cheerful demeanor short just to change his expression to one of seriousness. "As I have previously mentioned, Imperial Sandora has obtained a dragon. If they find a way to fully use the power of the dragon, Basil could be easily dominated within a matter of days. As for the current issue at hand other than the dragon, there is a great probability that Imperial Sandora will launch their attack tonight. Hmmmmm…I guess this would be great for a warrior such as Dart." Kaiser states. Dart looks over at the knight in charge and waits for him to issue the order. "Dart…You will stand watch with Sir Lavitz… It's just a simple night watch. If Sandora decides to attack, you will be able to see them in the distance. Now, if you don't mind, how about you and Shana take a look around? Anyone who is planning to watch over the fortress should be familiar with his surroundings. Enough said." Dart gives a nod and exits the room taking Shana with him.

Outside, Dart moved far away from the entrance to HQ and stood against a wall. Shana moved in front of Dart and looked into his eyes. "You've been acting kind of strange since we left Bale. What's wrong?" Dart sighed and looked away from Shana. "Don't worry about it. It's nothing. Really! " Shana glances away. "Well, if you're not ready to tell me…then that's ok. I just hope that you share what's on your mine with me eventually. Just remember, I'm here for you. I'll listen to whatever you have to say, Dart." Shana states. Dart gives a warm smile and begins to walk towards the stairs. "Let's go. We have a lot of ground to cover." He states. Shana nods and willingly follows Dart up the stairs.

Lavitz leaned back in his chair. Kaiser's briefing wasn't the most exciting of briefs, but what could one expect? When it comes to seriousness at the time of war, Kaiser took the cake. The young knight began to think. That feeling that he felt when he first stepped foot in Hoax was unnerving. To him it felt as if it was signaling that something happened at Indels and that things may become worse by the day, regardless of the war or other outlying factors. Lavitz just couldn't shake the thought off, but something had to be placed aside and the approaching fight wasn't going to be one of them. Lavitz had decided to keep Indels Castle off of his mind and leave everything in Serafino's capable hands. Though, after thinking about Serafino and having him in charge of everything, that made Lavitz worry a little more.

"Lavitz Slambert!!!" Kaiser yelled. Lavitz snapped back into reality and looked at the head of the eighth knighthood with wide eyes. "Are you ready for this battle or are you just going to sit there and daydream?!" Lavitz scratched his head and states, " I am more than ready." Dart and Shana walk through the door and Kaiser redirects his attention to the two. "Have you two got a good look of Hoax?" The leader questions. Both Dart and Shana nod and then Kaiser continues with, "Good, now I'll need Dart and Lavitz to assume their positions at the back gate." Lavitz and Dart exit the HQ and move up the stairs. Dart rushes ahead and gives the knight standing guard the message that he has been relieved. The knight leaves his post and makes his way past Lavitz who was just arriving at the post. Once the knight that was relieved disappeared into HQ, an awkward silence fell over the two.

"I'm sorry." Dart broke the silence. Lavitz looked over at Dart. "Why?" The red clad man shifted a little. "I feel as if I have caused so much trouble for you and His Majesty. I never meant to cause him to fall ill….nor be mentally unstable." Lavitz shook his head slowly. "No…Don't say it's your fault…because it isn't. It would be most appropriate to place this burden upon my shoulders. I was the one who rejected him and I was the one who mentioned your name. Before hand I should have stopped his feelings right when they first showed their face. I should have known better. Also, most of this could be put on His Majesty…He allowed jealousy and the rejection to get the better of him. Now that I think about it he did become easier to dismay after his father passed. " Dart gives Lavitz a puzzled look. "His father?" Dart questions

"Yes, King Carlo. He passed when His Majesty was only six…Twenty years ago."

"How did he die?"

"I'm not too sure…At that time…The knights weren't allowed to disclose any information to those outside of the royal family nor to the knights of other knighthoods. It was…you know…mainly royal family affairs. I was really young at the time and I happened to overhear the occurrence that took place from my late father. He didn't give out details."

"I see."

"But after hearing what happened…I made sure to visit His Majesty Albert the next day. I made sure to help him in his time of need."

"That's probably how it all got started…His feelings for you that is."

"More than likely."

"Though, Lavitz, I do have a question for you."

"Yeah?"

"How did you come upon having feelings for me?"

"Your bravery at Hellena impressed me, your bright personality, great fighting style and so much more. I just couldn't help myself."

Dart began to notice how Lavitz was turning a light shade of red. He young warrior smiles and then looks up at the sky. Dart began to feel a little embarrassed knowing why Lavitz had such feelings for him, but he was ok with it. The young man smiles and then stand up. "Well….Nightfall will be here in about six hours, how about we make the most of this time and get some rest." Dart suggests. Lavitz nods and then leans against the nearby wall. He begins to close his eyes as Dart sits on the hard concrete. Dart watches the young knight drift off to sleep. His thoughts began to wander, but Dart quickly shook them off as he leaned against the wall and again stare at the vast blue sky. _We're going to have an incredibly long night….._ Dart thought as he closed his eyes.

That night at Indels Castle, Serafino walked across the green carpet holding his mouth. "Damn it!!!" he muttered. Sir Lucien was following behind him patting the injured knight on the shoulder. "You shouldn't have squirmed so much when you were getting the stitches. That's why you have more holes in your lip than you should. All you had to do was sit still and let them run the needle and thread through you. It's as easy and simple as that." Serafino groaned and then released his mouth only to have it hurt worse than before. "Gah! Dammit!" Serafino yelled but then caused himself even more pain. "AHHH!" Lucien sighed. "Buddy, let's just…hurry to dinner." Lucien grabs Serafino by the arm and drags the young knight into the dining area. The two take their seat and Serafino holds his mouth again. The other knights, nobles, and members of the castle began to take their place at the table. There was but one seat left and that would be the King's. As the food was being placed in front of each person, Serafino began to ask, uncovering his mouth, "Where's His Majesty?" The young red headed knight expected an answer but all he received was silence from the others who were staring at the injury on his mouth. "Sir Serafino, what happened to your mouth?!" Asked the lady that spent most of her time with the musical instruments. Lucien stood up and announced, "Sir Serafino had an accident with one of the pole arms that we house downstairs. It's not a serious injury so please stop asking him questions."

The sound of a moving chair was heard throughout the room. Everyone redirected their attention to the head of the table, to find His Majesty; King Albert dressed in his fine dinner attire. His lovely golden brown hair was loose and free and he wore a stern expression upon his face. The man in the hood stood behind the king as Minister Noish took his place at the table to the left of his lord. Albert looked at Serafino who was at that moment adjusting himself in his seat. The king smiled and then remarked "I'm happy to see that you got your injury treated, Sir Almeric. I hope that you never acquire a second one. " Lucien looked over at Serafino. The red head's eyes widened. Serafino was surprised that the King would say something such as that, seeing that he was the one that caused the injury in the first place. "That…was…dirty…" Serafino muttered. "What was that?" Albert asked in a kind tone of voice. Serafino gave a somewhat crooked smile and replied, "I was saying that I will make sure that another injury such as this will not happen again. As long as the naughty little spear that done it realizes that he is messing with the wrong person." Lucien dropped his spoon after he heard the words fall from Serafino's mouth. Lucien realized that his partner Serafino was about to engage in a metaphoric verbal war that everyone knew who was going to win. Albert neatly cut a slice off of his steak and consumed it. He gracefully wiped his mouth and then retaliated with. "Well you have to understand that the naughty little spear wouldn't have done it if the foolish idiot that he came across had of minded his own business and stop trying to be bigger than what he is." Lucien began chug down the drink that was before him. "Well I guess the naughty spear wouldn't have to deal with the foolish idiot if he hadn't have made decisions that only an idiot would make. I mean-" Serafino consumes a mouthful of food and then takes a sip of his drink. Finally he completes his action by wiping his mouth clean. "Really, if only he'd keep his mind off of his pity party and the pole arm that would never want him…He'd be able to see that he's probably being shafted right under his nose. What a stupid, stupid, spear." The knight chuckles. Albert looked at the knife that he held in his hand. Lucien finishes off his meal, stands, faces the king and bows. "Please excuse me, sire." The knight said before leaving the room at a fast pace. King Albert finished his plate and then reaches for his dessert. A maid refills the king's wine glass and then stands far off to the side. Minister Noish looked closely at his king. He could tell that Albert was highly displeased, bordering angry. Albert takes a bite from his cake and then wipes the crumbs from around his mouth. The king looks over at Serafino and the young red head made sure to make eye contact with the king. "Serafino…I wish to speak with you in the throne room after dinner…" King Albert states. "Yes sire." Serafino replies. For the rest of that time at the table, everyone remained silent as a heavy air of tension floated about.

Later that night, Serafino paced back and forth across the throne room. He was nervous and didn't know why. "Heck, why am I nervous? I placed this upon myself, so I have no reason to be so unnerved. Aha. Yeah, I'm ok. I think. Wait…that feeling I got from looking into His Majesty's eyes… It felt like…Neglect? What? As if he's being left out of some-" Serafino was cut off by the slamming of a door. Serafino whirled around. He didn't know what to expect. The young knight stood in a room where the only thing illuminating it was the light from the Moon that Never Sets. The mysterious light of the moon gave the room an ominous feeling to it. Serafino began to move towards a wall and continue to scan his surroundings. "Now would be a great time for my eyes to do something other than read people's minds." He tells himself. "I'm glad that you're here, Serafino…Now, let's get down to business." Albert states in a serious tone of voice. By the feeling of it, Serafino could tell that he bit off far more than he could chew when he engaged in that verbal exchange with the king. One can only hope that this all turns out well.


	7. A Slip of the Tongue, Flick of the Wrist

What is Meant to Be

Chapter 7

Slip of the Tongue and a Flick of the Wrist

Serafino shifted uncomfortably as he observed his king moving slowly down the stairs and towards him. "I know, I know..." Serafino starts. "I stepped out of line with what I have said, but-" King Albert stopped and gave Serafino raised eyebrow. "There are no "buts" when it comes to you and your mouth." Albert said in a low serious tone of voice. "Why, tell me why...did you have to say those things."

Yep, it was obvious that Serafino touched on a subject that was highly delicate to the young king. The young knight couldn't help it, sometimes he got a little curious and he uses his power to find out a little bit more on the subject. Well, what can Serafino do now? He could either play it off and say that he let his mouth get the best of him or he could just lay it out on the table. The young red head took a deep breath and began to scratch his head. Serafino lazily moved himself into an area that was lit up by the light of the moon and placed his hands on his hips. He decided, he was going to simply lay it all out on the table for the King to "feast" on. Albert should be able to understand. He was the understanding type, or so he thought.

"Look, " Serafino begins. "I already know by the look in your eyes that you were rejected...turned down...Neglected. How ever you want to put it. You were turned down by the one person that you happened to fancy. For the longest, you have been quite the downer. Honestly, I believe that you should not be up and about, knowing how you have been taking things lately. You need rest. Plenty of rest, your majesty." Serafino said, making sure that he tagged some of his sentences with the phrase, "your majesty" just to make sure that the king wouldn't be further pissed off than what he currently is. "You sit around and mope and send yourself into a mental bog...There's no reason for you to-". A loud bang suddenly echos through the throne room, followed by another loud bang. His Majesty Albert was slamming his fist into the nearby post. "You don't know anything!" Albert shouts. "How would you feel if the person who you've loved for well over ten years was taken from you by some mere commoner. Someone who doesn't even have enough years to even top what Lavitz and I have together." The king's breathing becomes heavy as he continues with, "I've known Lavitz for over twenty years...TWENTY...and how long has Lavitz known Dart? Tell me..." Serafino looks over his shoulder and a look of concern moves across his face. "I know. Not that long, your majesty. I do believe that the two knew each other for barely a year...barely a half of a year."

"Exactly..." Albert hissed as he made his way even more towards Serafino.

"But...Time shouldn't mean anything. Maybe,"

The next sentence, could be the deciding factor on whether or not Albert was going to fly off the handle or come to his senses and realize that the one at fault was...

"Maybe, what?"

...The one at fault was Albert.

"Maybe if you told him earlier, you would've gotten a different answer! Yeah, that's right. Your timing was horrendous! You waited too long. Way too long. If Sir Lavitz did indeed had feelings for you, they're gone now! Gone! Kaput! Nothing left! Maybe you should've made the move years and years ago when you stood a better chance! Ever thought of that!? But no! NO! You just had to succumb to your fears, your cowardice, your shy ways and just allow your emotions and shyness take over. If anything. . .If Dart confesses any type of feelings for Lavitz, I would have to say that he won the competition. You have no one else to blame but yourself! That's why I dropped the words "stupid" earlier...You really made yourself out to be a big idiot by holding ANYTHING over either Dart or Lavitz...That's if you did. Albert...You could have done so much better...What happened to your logical thinking?!"

To little that they knew, Lucien stood in the very back of the throne room, hidden by the shadows. 'Damn it, Serafino...' Lucien thought. 'I think you stepped out of line...Far out of line...I hope you're ready to get your ass handed to you by the King, because he is obviously pissed.'

Serafino stood by and awaited a response from the king. He gives a small smirk as he adjusted himself. The young red head felt pretty sure that he brought Albert back to his senses and was confident that everything was resolved and probably back to normal. Well, he was wrong...Dead wrong. The mind reading knight found himself dodging a punch from the young emerald clad king. "This isn't how it's supposed to go!" Serafino shouted as he continued to dodge punches. Yep, it was official, King Albert's kind and caring demeanor hid a short fuse. Who would've thought? Serafino attempted to look into the young King's eyes to see what was going through his head at this current time, but he couldn't. It was just far too dark for him to see Albert's eyes. Now Serafino had a brand new challenge on his hands. Would he be able to complete it. Serafino made sure to deflect each punch and dodge, taking care not to harm the King. It was very difficult to defend in such a poorly lit room, but Serafino had to manage and do his best. First thing's first, though...Calm down the King.

"The only reason as to why you're acting like this is because you know that I am right. I have a poi-" Serafino was cut off as he dodged another punch. Albert began to repeatedly yell the words "Shut up" as he continued swinging his fists. Serafino was trying to think fast. "You need to...stop this! Don't let your insecurities and your frustration blind you!" He was running out of options very fast. The young red headed knight gave up trying to come up with options and decided to go on the offensive. Once Albert threw his next punch, Serafino grabbed Albert by the wrist and backhanded Albert across the left side of the young king's face. Unfortunately, Serafino hit the young King too hard. He hit him hard enough to send him flying back a few inches, not only that...Injuries were inflicted. Lucien jumped forward and darted from the shadows. "What in the hell are you thinking you crazy-" he started. Lucien gave up on continuing his sentence because he knew it would no use in even finishing. Serafino would've made up some sort of crazy, botched, excuse anyways.

"I had no choice...I seriously had no choice!" Serafino said. "He was coming at me with all of his might, that and he was blinded with rage. It was either stop it right now or get pounded into the throne room floor!" Lucien was speechless. Words couldn't define how he felt right now. Serafino then continued. " He was getting out of hand. The King is young...fragile...and has gone through a lot. I really don't want him to suffer the same fate as those who were once close to me. Driven to the point of insanity...all because of love and affection. Boy, have I seen some days." Lucien looked over at Albert, who was still on the floor. The knight could tell that his king was slightly quivering... not out of fear, but out of shame. Serafino moved over to the king and bent over Albert and gave him a look in his eyes. The light of the moon provided enough light for Serafino to look into Albert's golden brown eyes. King Albert looked into the eyes of Serafino and was a bit confused. He noted that Serafino had eyes of blue that were oddly tinted red.

Serafino forcefully turned King Albert over and then picked him up. He carried the king out of the throne room and into the royal chambers. There, Serafino tossed the King onto the bed and then made his way to the door. Before leaving, the red headed night looked over his shoulder and said, "I don't want you to end up like my friends when they let situations drive them to the point of insanity. It's a sad thing to see...when someone deteriorates because of their instability. I know it's going to take a long time to recover...I know that time isn't of the essence right now, but your country...Your country needs to come first before you end up at Emperor Doel's mercy. Do not come at me again until you realize your flaws, recover, and clear your head because next time...I really will lay it on thick." The young knight left the room. King Albert rolls over in his bed and looks at the dresser. He didn't say anything, instead he layed his hand on his injured cheek which happned to be swollen and possibly bruised. The young man gave a deep sigh and closed his eyes and soon he fell into a deep slumber.

Hoax was cold and quiet, with the exception of the owls hooting in the distance. The crisp clean air was still and peaceful for the most part. Dart, Lavitz were sitting at a small post located above the entrance into the town. Multiple thoughts riddled Lavitz's mind as he gazed at the big, bright moon. Things felt awkward, sitting with Dart. Lavitz didn't want to look at Dart, in fear that he would comment on what was mentioned earlier about how he felt about him. Dart broke the silence by saying, "So...is it true?" Lavitz's eyes widened and he looked over at Dart.

"Is what true?"

"That you have feelings for me..."

Lavitz shifted and began to look down at the ground. He felt even more awkward just from the mentioning of his feelings.

"Well, I-"

Then it became quiet, suddenly. The men looked up and in the distance. Tension grew thick, so thick that anyone could cut it with a knife. Then a voice could be heard in the distance, shouting that the empire of Sandora was invading. This gave a cue that it was high time that they took up arms and defended the kingdom, Serdio and make sure that no one gets past the town of Hoax. The capital, Bale must not be invaded.

Dart looked over at Lavitz and smiled as he said, "I guess this has to wait until everything is over." The knight smiles and nods in agreement. They see the enemy begin to flood into the town and without a second thought, Lavitz and his partner hurried down to the lower level and began to fight. Arrows were shot, weapons were swung, many were injured as well as killed, but when it came to those who fought for King Albert and the country, Serdio...It was all for good reason. For peace...as well as unity.


End file.
